Coaster



Nov. 20, 1934. R. s. MERRIMAN 1,931,627

COASTER' Filed May 5, 1953 Patented Nov. 20, 1934 PATENT OFFICE.

COASTER Ralph S. Merriman, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Closure Service Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application Mayi3, 1933, Serial No. 669,255

4 Claims.

My invention relates to an article of manufacture designed for use as a tray or holder for glass tumblers, bottles or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an article of the character indicated which is inexpensive to manufacture, light in Weight, durable,

practical and ornamental.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the article.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the inner shell.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the outer shell.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view at the line VV on Fig. 1, showing the shells assembled but not secured together.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the completed article, the section being taken substantia'lly at the line VIVI on Fig. 1.

Fig.- '7 is a view showing a number of the articles nested together.

Referring to the drawing, the coaster or tray 8 comprises an outer shell 9 and an inner shell 10, each made from a single piece of sheet metal and each comprising a circular base and a peripheral flange portion rising therefrom and forming the side walls of the tray. Each shell may be drawn to shape from a flat sheet metal disk.

The base 11 of the inner shell is preferably flat,

except that as shown it is provided with embossing which in the form shown comprises an annular rib or boss 12 and ribs 13 radiating therefrom. This embossing which may be of any suitable or preferred design serves to hold the tumbler, bottle or other article A (Fig. 6) supported thereon, spaced from the flat bottom of the tray. This prevents the article from adhering by suction when wet. The side wall or flange of the inner shell has its upper marginal portion 14 ofiset outwardly to contact with the inner surface of the outer shell, the major portion of the inner and outer vertical walls of the shells being spaced apart, as shown.

The outer shell 9 has a fiat circular bottom portion 15 surrounded by an annular portion 16 offset downwardly from the part 15 and forming an annular base or support for the tray. The outer vertically disposed wall of said base is spaced a short distance inwardly from the main vertical wall or flange 18 of the shell, thus providing an annular recess 19 surrounding the shell at the bottom margin thereof. This construction permits the trays to be nested together when placed one on top of another, as shown in Fig. 7,

the base 16 of each tray fitting within the side wall of the adjoining tray therebeneath. The trays when thus nested together are held-against lateral relative movement. This permits them to be conveniently stacked, stored away or packed for shipping. It prevents any relative movement of the trays in a manner which would scratch or mar the surfaces.

The inner and outer shells after being drawnto shape, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, are assembled as shown in Fig. 5. The upper marginal portion of the outer flange 18 is then bumped or bent around the upper edge of the inner shell to form a bead 20 and provide a tight joint between the shells. The inside diameter of the upper margin of the tray, formed by the bead 20, is preferably the same as the inside diameter of the inner shell. The bumping operation by which the bead is formed, also bends the uppermargin of the inner shell inwardly to a certain extent, as shown in Fig. 6, which results in a rigid and secure connection.

The sheet metal shells comprising the tray are given a coating of shellac or other protective material which is preferably applied to the flat metal so sheets before the blanks which form the shells are cut therefrom. The tray may be lithographed inside or outside with any desired number of colors or designs for advertising or ornamental purposes, such lithographing being preferably as done prior to drawing of the shells.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A tray comprising inner and outer shells of substantially the same depth, each consisting of a single piece of sheet material, having a bottom. portion and an annular flange portion rising from the bottom at right angles thereto to form the side walls of the tray, the bottom of the outer shell having an annular portion offset downwardly to provide a supporting base, and means including an annular internal bead formed by rolling the upper margins of the flanges together for rigidly securing said shells together.

2. A double walled tray consisting of inner and outer shells of sheet material, each comprising an approximately flat circular base and a flange rising from the outer margin of said base to form side walls of the tray, the outer shell having an annular portion oifset downwardly to form a base, said ofiset portion being concentric with and forming a part of the bottom of the shell, the outer diameter of said offset portion being less than the diameter of said flange portion of the shell, thereby providing an annular exterior recess surroundingthe tray at its lower corner, and means including an internal annular bead formed by rolling the upper margins of the flanges to-' gether for rigidly securing said shells together.

3. A double walled tray consisting of inner and outer shells of sheet material, each comprising an approximately flat circular base and a flange rising tromthe outer margin of said base to form side walls 01' the tray, the outer shell having an annular portion offset downwardlyto form a base, said oflfset portion being concentric with and forming a part of the bottom of the shell, the outer diameter of said offset portion being less than the diameter of said flange portion of the shell, thereby providing an annular exterior recess surrounding the tray at its lower corner, the upper marginal portion of the outer flange being doubled-inward over the upper margin of the inner flange to secure said shells together and form a bead, said annular recess being of a size and shape to fit within the head 01 a tray of like shape and form a snug fit therewith, thereby permitting the trays to be nested together.

4. A double walled tray consisting of inner and outer shells of sheet material, each comprising an approximately flat'circular base and a flange rising from the outer margin of said base to form side walls ofv the tray, the diameters of the flanges being such that they are spaced apart, the upper marginal portion of the inner flange shell being ofiset radially outward and the upper marginal portion of the outer shell being rolled inwardly and downwardly over said ofiset portion to connect the two shells together and form a bead, said bead and the raw edge of the outer flange being disposed in a plane. between the flanges and said raw edge radially outward be yond the inner surface of the flange of the inner shell and thereby obscured.

RALPH S. MERRIMAN. 

